Blog 13

From having been in the writing center for so long, there is not much I would consider new information that I have learned about the negotiation of power and identity within a conversation. The writing center is all about conversation and there are definitely some strong personalities that walk in through the door. Some are more difficult to work with than others. As a cornerstone of our philosophy, we are not out to make ourselves seem like the authority figures who hold power over students in any way. We are simply there to supplement and aid when we can. There are some instances when a student will try to assume more power than might be warranted, however, and try to get the coach to do something they are not fully comfortable with. It is at that point that the coach must negotiate with the student and meet them half-way, where reasonably possible, and then allow for the student to either do the same or not.

I'm not 100% sure what this blog question was asking but this was the first thing I could think of after reading the question.

Blog 12

My main concern with the paper before the conference was the issue of how I should actually organize the paper itself. I thought it would be a daunting task to make the entire thing flow as if it were an essay. Thankfully, I was able to get some clarification on that matter, along with several of my classmates who were having the same problem.

Another question I had was the fact that I had certain sessions that went against my initial reasoning of my research paper and I wanted to see how I might be able to integrate that within my study.

Blog 11

Drafty writing for Presentation and Analysis section section.

Presentation:

     Student comes into the center and states that she has an appointment, signs in at the front desk, and then follows the coach to the back of the center where they then sit down and begin their session.
     The student states that she is an Management major and that this paper she wishes to work on is one for her International Business class. The coach asks what year she is in at the University and the students responds that she is in her Senior year. She also indicated that this was her first visit to the Writing Center. Judging by the way the student was speaking and responding to the coach, I was able to surmise that she was an ESL student. The coach asks what she would like help in and the student begins to explain that English has never been her strong suit and that she was constantly having difficulty with grammatical errors, more specifically, her articles and word tenses.
     The student did not have an actual paper to work on but she had a physical copy of an outline that needed to be submitted and she wanted to go over it with the coach to fix any potential issues with articles and tenses. The coach explained that they could read over the paper together, while the student read it out loud, and that if she (the coach) saw anything that needed fixing, she would help her. The student agreed to the plan and they began reading over the outline.
     While they were reading the introduction to the outline, the coach stopped the student and suggested to clarify a specific sentence, as the coach had had some trouble following it entirely. The coach asked, "Whats one way you can write this sentence to make it more clear?" Although the student was speaking in a very faint tone and I was not able to hear exactly what was said, the student did suggest a potential revision and the coach immediately agreed to it. The student was about to go on with the reading of the outline and the coach suggested that she write it down to make sure she did not forget to make the change later. The student does so and the session continues. As they read, the coach stops the student every now and then to mention more specific alterations, such as different word usage or sentence structure. The coach also worked on the issue of missing articles by telling the student whenever there was one missing. The student would be reading a sentence and the coach would stop her and say, for example, "There should be an 'a' there" or "Just put a 'the' right there."
     At one point, there was an issue with the tense of a specific word and the coach asked, "What's another word that sounds like 'compare'? How can we change it to the right tense?" The student thought over it for a few moments then suggested, "Comparing?" To which the coach replied, "What about comparison?"The student simply nodded her head and wrote it down on the paper.
   The remainder of the session was spent going over more small article corrections. The outline had been totally read through, the student thanked her, and then left.

Data:

     The coach more often than not made direct suggestions for alterations to the outline rather than using open-ended questions to try and help let the student get to the answer herself. When open-ended questions were used, however, the student was able to think on the issue, and make suggestions that often got her closer to the correct answer herself with a bit more coaxing from the coach. Throughout the entire session, the coach was very polite and never spoke as though she were an authority figure but it was most certainly implied due to the fact that many times, she was simply telling the student how to change the paper. Most of the revisions that needed to be done were small grammatical ones so there was not a huge opportunity to repeatedly use open-ended questions and for the student to maintain their "voice" (because their voice was never in question to begin with), however, the coach rarely tried to see whether or not the student would be able to recognize their own mistakes later on through the paper after having found several between them. When the coach asked about the tense of the word "compare," even though she was looking for a specific response, it was still closer to asking an open-ended question rather than just telling her how to change the word outright.

Blog 10

Drafty writing for the literature review.

J. Dillon, in his essay “Questioning” describes the benefits of open-ended questions and asserts that they allow for a wide-range of responses and provides an opportunity for the person answering them to tell the coach what he or she is thinking, speak freely on the topic, and share more than just the facts. At the same time, the tutor asking the question can gather information about the tutee’s agenda, clarify their understanding of what is being discussed, and connect with the tutee better.  He also states that a successful tutor must understand the tutee’s mission, vision, and beliefs surrounding their strategies and behavior within their work (301).  This could be much better achieved by, according to Barbara Duch, motivating students to become actively engaged and stimulating them to think about their work.  (48).

            In her article, “Open-Ended Questions Stretch Academic and Social Learning,” Paula Denten speaks to how Open-Ended questions can be used to stretch a student’s curiosity, reasoning ability, and independence. She states that these types of questions could elicit fresh ideas and insights and enable teachers and students to build knowledge together. She finds this preferable to asking “closed-ended” questions which might only provide limited and often predictable responses (1). 

Blog 9

Drafty writing for the introduction:

The act of facilitating a tutoring session at the writing center involves much more than simply reading through a paper and offering suggestions. The tutor is constantly negotiating with the student to ensure that the experience is as beneficial as possible.One facet of a successful tutoring session, and some might argue the most important, is making sure that the student is able to maintain their own voice while working on their paper. This is crucial for several reasons, one being the fact that the student must be able to keep complete authority over their own work because they are the ones submitting it for a grade. This form of autonomy can be achieved, mainly, by implementing open-ended questions during the course of the session. This technique can be used in various circumstances and would encourage them to form their own ideas and thoughts for their paper, rather than simply copying word-for-word suggestions given by the tutor.

Blog 7

Research question: Do open ended questions help a student maintain their voice during a tutoring session.

Things I would have to observe: Whether or not the coach is using open ended questions and, if so, how do the students respond to those kinds of questions. Does that let a student remain independent of the coach when coming up with ideas? Do the students just take whatever ideas the coast puts forth or do they come up with their own. I would look up how open ended questions work different than questions that only require a yes or no response.

Blog 6

​The Writing Center and Writing Cultures

​Upon performing my research for potential topics I might be able to discuss within this essay on the writing culture at Kean, there was an extended period of time in which I was hard-pressed to find that elusive focus. My main concern was the fact that there had been no empirical study conducted, that I could find at any rate, which sought out to examine and document said culture within the University. Therefore, there was no concrete data from which I could glean any sort of insight into this matter and felt as though I would be then forced to delve into hypothetical scenarios whose foundations would be built from unsupported assumptions and speculation. I visited the Office of Institutional Research’s website, hoping I might be able to find some sort of glaring statistic that would grab my attention and present a starting point from which to launch, but all I found were what appeared to me to be random numbers that I could not make any sense of. While being able to look up the approximate figure of Latin students who attended the University full-time, or female students who were studying to receive their bachelor’s degree are interesting examples of the information provided, it did not suit my needs very much at all.

​I was determined to find tangible evidence of an issue concerning writing culture that specifically pertained to Kean University and so decided to peruse the Office of Assessment’s website. They presented a complete list of academic majors that were offered at Kean and, for each one, made available the assessment plan for that major, which included a specified mission statement and student learning outcomes (SLO’s). The site also published the assessment report for the 2012 spring semester in which the success or shortcomings of the program level SLO’s were reviewed, documented, and where a plan of action for improvement would also be created for the following semester. Once I began reading through the various reports for different majors, their student learning outcomes and their findings once the semester was over, I was left with a plethora of data and a definite pattern, or culture concerning writing, which was pretty apparent and thus my focus had been discovered.

​I started with the department that I had devoted several years of my life to already, English, and read through their mission statement. Amongst other things, one recurring topic that seemed fairly prevalent was that of writing. In the statement, it affirms that, “…the department’s mission is to educate our diverse student community in the processes of critical reading, analytic thinking, and effective writing through the study of literature and writing.” To me, the idea of learning how to write through the act of writing itself makes total and complete sense. It connotes a connection between effective writing instruction and the implementation of a writing process, insofar as it would not be very efficient tutelage if only the final product was to be the sole criteria for grading. The mission statement also expresses its commitment to, “…develop…effective writers” through (as expressed within the SLO’s) “Thesis-driven essays.” As if the implications were not articulated clearly enough, towards the bottom of the assessment plan, the student learning outcomes are more fully developed and explained. The first of which reads, “Students will produce essays through a series of drafts that include exploratory writing or talk, as well as revisions that include addition, deletion, substitution and rearrangement.” By this point, it was obvious that effective writing instruction was a cornerstone of the English department’s mission, which probably should have gone without saying, but in order to contextualize the remainder of this essay, it was important to start off with this baseline.

​From there on, I continued reading through other various majors in order to get a sense of what their objectives were for their particular students and found there to be stark differences between them and that of the English department. While this was to be expected, I was not particularly prepared to learn of the commonalities many of them seemed to posses. It started when I was reading the documentation for the School of Management, Marketing, and International Business and the School of Accounting and Finance’s assessment process. Within it, it is stated that, “students’ graded papers revealed that writing skills fell below expectations.” in order so that I might be able to receive more insight into this statement, which was almost hidden within the paragraphs, I decided to view the assessment report for the 2012 spring semester. Under the SLO of “effective communication,” there was the following statement, “The business capstone findings showed two weaknesses related to effective ‘Focus’ and effective ‘Development of ideas and information.’” Near to this evaluation, it also explained what method was implemented to measure this particular SLO’s effectiveness, in which it read, “Case paper with rubric.” I was caught by that last word and soon found it in over abundance as I continued my exploration of different majors.

As I continued to read, it all very much started sounding the same when it came to the topic of writing within the different disciplines. In Psychology, for example, anytime an SLO required there be a written paper for assessment, it was always described exactly the same way: “Individual research review paper…scored via faculty-developed rubrics.” Every single time, for every single written assignment, this description remained the same. When I looked at the report for the past semester, the evaluation read, “Results suggest that students did not have sufficient time to generate drafts of the work prior to their being due.” The History department followed nearly the exact pattern. Assessment plan: “Research paper scored with rubric to demonstrate achievement of program.” And the report: “Analysis of written communication rubric indicated need for further instruction in writing mechanics…” This mold continued to reveal itself amongst several other departments, such as Biology, Sociology, and Political Science, to name a few. It quickly became apparent to me that, while many other programs seemed to find it necessary to have a writing component, the English department was amongst the only ones who emphasize the actual writing process as apposed to simply having a paper turned in and graded based on a rubric.

While rubrics most certainly have their place in academia when used correctly, this does not mean they can be expected to take the place of traditional writing processes. Meaning, having a set standard from which you will be grading a paper based off of, as rubrics are, cannot replace the act of turning in a draft of a paper and then revising it. Rubrics are not shortcuts. Saying, “This is what it should look like at the end to get a good grade and that’s all you need to know” is not the same as actually taking the time to go through the steps of any conventional process for writing or at least allowing the possibility of revision. Scoring rubrics can be adapted or created for a variety of purposes, according to Robin Tierney and Marielle Simon. From large-scale or high-stakes assessment to personal self-assessment, each has its own design features. However, they are inherently only interested in the final product. While this might not be the case for every department who used rubrics, the data that I surveyed seemed to attest to the fact that there was a link between these methods for assessing a piece of writing, and the fact that students within those departments were not acquiring the proper skill set for writing.

Thus, a culture of more writing with less instruction has become prevalent amongst Kean University students. They are expected to write but with little to no extra emphasis on how to actual do it, and do it properly. This is where the Writing Center would become involved. Within the Center, focus, clarity, and organization are among the highest priorities, which align perfectly with what the aforementioned assessment reports indicated students needed the most help on. The issue many students now face within their classes is that they are given an assignment, and then a sheet of paper explaining what the assignment needs to include in order to get a passing grade. The problem comes in when the students, who might never have had to focus on writing before, are unclear as to how to actually achieve the goals that have been set out for them.

As of right now, it seems that there are many students within the University who are struggling with the addition of all these papers they are being given and perhaps the standard one-on-one session will not be enough to compensate for the influx. Maybe in the near future, the Writing Center can begin implementing workshops that students of any department can participate in where a coach assists in explaining to these students what a writing process is and the many variations that can be applied to it. Hopefully, if such workshops were to be put into place, students can begin to grow more confident in their writing abilities while the professor does not have to deviate too much from their subject matter.

Blog 5

For the writing center philosophy assignment I want to write as if it were for a website for the center itself. It would be meant to be read by students and so would not be full of technical theories and that kind of thing. I want it to be easily readable to any student and spark their interest in what the center could do for them. I want them to know that it is a safe place where they would not be judged and that we are there to help them as much as we can. I want to make sure I focus on the fact that the tutors would be students (probably graduate students) so that they know it's not going to be another classroom experience where the professor sits in front of them and act like an authority figure. I also have to make sure it's not to wordy because if I were in their position, I would not want to read pages and pages worth of information. I want it to feel inviting and maybe even welcoming. I also want to bring technology into my center. Focus on computers and how we might be able to use them. Maybe have remote sessions over webcam.

Blog 3

​The Writing Center and Writing Cultures

​Upon performing my research for potential topics I might be able to discuss within this essay on the writing culture at Kean, there was an extended period of time in which I was hard-pressed to find that elusive focus. My main concern was the fact that there had been no empirical study conducted, that I could find at any rate, which sought out to examine and document said culture within the University. Therefore, there was no concrete data from which I could glean any sort of insight into this matter and felt as though I would be then forced to delve into hypothetical scenarios whose foundations would be built from unsupported assumptions and speculation. I visited the Office of Institutional Research’s website, hoping I might be able to find some sort of glaring statistic that would grab my attention and present a starting point from which to launch, but all I found were what appeared to me to be random numbers that I could not make any sense of. While being able to look up the approximate figure of Latin students who attended the University full-time, or female students who were studying to receive their bachelor’s degree are interesting examples of the information provided, it did not suit my needs very much at all.
​I was determined to find tangible evidence of an issue concerning writing culture that specifically pertained to Kean University and so decided to peruse the Office of Assessment’s website. They presented a complete list of academic majors that were offered at Kean and, for each one, made available the assessment plan for that major, which included a specified mission statement and student learning outcomes (SLO’s). The site also published the assessment report for the 2012 spring semester in which the success or shortcomings of the program level SLO’s were reviewed, documented, and where a plan of action for improvement would also be created for the following semester. Once I began reading through the various reports for different majors, their student learning outcomes and their findings once the semester was over, I was left with a plethora of data and a definite pattern, or culture concerning writing, which was pretty apparent and thus my focus had been discovered.
​I started with the department that I had devoted several years of my life to already, English, and read through their mission statement. Amongst other things, one recurring topic that seemed fairly prevalent was that of writing. In the statement, it affirms that, “…the department’s mission is to educate our diverse student community in the processes of critical reading, analytic thinking, and effective writing through the study of literature and writing.” To me, the idea of learning how to write through the act of writing itself makes total and complete sense. It connotes a connection between effective writing instruction and the implementation of a writing process, insofar as it would not be very efficient tutelage if only the final product was to be the sole criteria for grading. The mission statement also expresses its commitment to, “…develop…effective writers” through (as expressed within the SLO’s) “Thesis-driven essays.” As if the implications were not articulated clearly enough, towards the bottom of the assessment plan, the student learning outcomes are more fully developed and explained. The first of which reads, “Students will produce essays through a series of drafts that include exploratory writing or talk, as well as revisions that include addition, deletion, substitution and rearrangement.” By this point, it was obvious that effective writing instruction was a cornerstone of the English department’s mission, which probably should have gone without saying, but in order to contextualize the remainder of this essay, it was important to start off with this baseline.
​From there on, I continued reading through other various majors in order to get a sense of what their objectives were for their particular students and found there to be stark differences between them and that of the English department. While this was to be expected, I was not particularly prepared to learn of the commonalities many of them seemed to posses. It started when I was reading the documentation for the School of Management, Marketing, and International Business and the School of Accounting and Finance’s assessment process. Within it, it is stated that, “students’ graded papers revealed that writing skills fell below expectations.” in order so that I might be able to receive more insight into this statement, which was almost hidden within the paragraphs, I decided to view the assessment report for the 2012 spring semester. Under the SLO of “effective communication,” there was the following statement, “The business capstone findings showed two weaknesses related to effective ‘Focus’ and effective ‘Development of ideas and information.’” Near to this evaluation, it also explained what method was implemented to measure this particular SLO’s effectiveness, in which it read, “Case paper with rubric.” I was caught by that last word and soon found it in over abundance as I continued my exploration of different majors.
As I continued to read, it all very much started sounding the same when it came to the topic of writing within the different disciplines. In Psychology, for example, anytime an SLO required there be a written paper for assessment, it was always described exactly the same way: “Individual research review paper…scored via faculty-developed rubrics.” Every single time, for every single written assignment, this description remained the same. When I looked at the report for the past semester, the evaluation read, “Results suggest that students did not have sufficient time to generate drafts of the work prior to their being due.” The History department followed nearly the exact pattern. Assessment plan: “Research paper scored with rubric to demonstrate achievement of program.” And the report: “Analysis of written communication rubric indicated need for further instruction in writing mechanics…” This mold continued to reveal itself amongst several other departments, such as Biology, Sociology, and Political Science, to name a few. It quickly became apparent to me that, while many other programs seemed to find it necessary to have a writing component, the English department was amongst the only ones who emphasize the actual writing process as apposed to simply having a paper turned in and graded based on a rubric.

Blog 2

The student writing culture at Kean would have to be described as strained. Most Students who go to this University are also part-time, if not full-time, employees as well. That on top of the fact that most of the students who attend Kean are commuters and have to drive multiple days a week to make their classes makes the typical student's life rather hectic. When a paper is assigned, I believe that many professors do not take these factors into consideration and request a bit too much from their students. There is nothing wrong with expecting quality work, but there should be some understanding that students are constantly juggling their responsibilities and that they would truly appreciate their professors meeting them in the middle. Professors, for example, should focus more on a few assignments and giving students ample time to work on them rather than just give out multiple papers and expect that they are breezed through. There should be an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Allow students to rethink, reorganize, and revise their papers so that by the end of the semester, they can actually be proud in what they accomplished intend of just be exhausted from turning in last minute assignments ass year.

Blog 1

I remember when I was very young I used to love how to draw. Unfortunately, this did not mean that I was any good at it at all. In fact, I was terrible at it. I quickly came to terms with this fact and so had to figure out another creative outlet that allowed me to put my imagination into a more physical form. This lead me into writing. Instead of drawing a picture, I could just describe a scene that I had dreamt up and be as creative as I wanted because I was not as limited. You could write about far more than you could draw because when drawing, you were confined to a physical space. Writing gave me more freedom and I immediately fell in love with it. I hadn't had any sort of formal writing experience before that point and so I just did whatever felt natural to do. I would write about characters from my favorite shows or books and do fan fictions based off of them. It let me immerse myself even more into the things I already loved. Since my first experiences with writing were so positive, it's made me want to have it as a permanent part of my life and even my potential career.